UK Policing News

Story here.

A children's football coach, dubbed the 'doorstep stalker', has been found guilty of a series of sex assaults on women over six years in southwest London. Kirk Reid, 44, was not arrested until 2008 - four years after he was made a suspect. An independent investigation is now under way into police blunders and Scotland Yard has apologised. The college head chef, 44, was found guilty of stalking and sexually assaulting 25 women between 2001-2007 by a jury at Kingston Crown Court. He admitted a further two indecent assaults and was also convicted of raping a woman in the street in March 2002, as well as the rape of another woman in a flat in 1995. But police believe he …

The Metropolitan Police has agreed to pay £60,000 damages to a man it arrested during an anti-terror raid. The High Court heard that Babar Ahmad was subjected to "serious gratuitous prolonged unjustified violence" and "religious abuse" after his arrest. Mr Ahmad, a 34-year-old IT support analyst, was never charged following the dawn raid at his home in Tooting, south west London, in December 2003. He is now in jail awaiting extradition to the US on separate charges. Mr Justice Holroyde heard that one of the unnamed officers allegedly involved will face criminal proceedings. Phillippa Kaufmann, counsel for Mr Ahmad, told the High Court that he had been dragged b…

A man clocked by police driving at 173mph in a 50mph zone has avoided jail - after it was found his sports car was incapable of travelling that fast. Officers recorded the remarkable speed for Tex O'Reilly's Lotus Elise as he drove along a country lane in Derbyshire last July, Derby Crown Court was told. But defence lawyers successfully argued the 36-year-old Derbyshire builder's unmodified car had a top speed of 127mph and he pleaded guilty to dangerous driving on the basis that he had driven at just 105mph. A recording of 173mph would usually have warranted a jail term, but the prosecution failed to disprove the defence claims and accepted O'Reilly's basis of plea. …

Only just heard this, no idea as to injuries etc, will post a link when it becomes available but it's on the latest news bit on the bbc news website *updated* http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/7933990.stm

Launch of national anti-terrorist campaign A national campaign reminds you to be vigilant and to call the Anti-Terrorist Hotline if you are concerned about suspicious activity. The new national anti-terrorist campaign launched on 16 March and encourages people to take responsibility to report information on terrorist activity by calling the Anti-Terrorist Hotline on 0800 789 321. The key message is ‘Don’t rely on others. If you suspect it, report it’. A Textphone facility for people who are deaf or who have hearing difficulties is also available on 0800 0324 539. Deputy Assistant Commissioner John McDowall, senior national coordinator counter-terrorism, said:  

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith highlighted the danger posed by new technologies and failed states around the world as she published an updated counter-terror strategy. The report - known as Contest Two - is the first public document to contain a detailed assessment of the underlying causes of the terrorist threat and its likely future direction. It contains a stark warning about the likelihood of an attack involving a "dirty bomb". The report says: "Contemporary terrorist organisations aspire to use chemical, biological, radiological and even nuclear weapons. "Changing technology and the theft and smuggling of chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear and explosive …

http://news.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/hi/newsbeat...000/7961224.stm Fully expect this NOT to make it past the mods! :whistle2:

A man who stabbed a Bedfordshire police officer to death has been found guilty of murder. Ikechukwu Tennyson Obih, 29, stabbed Pc Jon Henry twice in the chest as he tried to arrest him in Luton town centre on 11 June 2007. Obih, 29, of Winsdon Road, Luton, had denied murdering Pc Henry but admitted killing him on the grounds of diminished responsibility. He also denied the attempted murder of two window cleaners on the same day. Pc Henry was one of four police officers who responded to an emergency call after window cleaner Stephen Chamberlain was stabbed. The Pc was stabbed twice in the chest while trying to apprehend Obih and David Knight was stabbed as he went …

This government is getting out of control with how much information and spying on its citizens, it’s quite frankly scary!.....(awaits the nothing to hide, nothing to fear claptrap. How about, nothing to hide but also nothing to declare?? Source

Terror extension quashed by court Six dissident republican suspects held by Northern Ireland police for 11 days have won a high court challenge to their continued detention. Four were being questioned about the murder of Sappers Mark Quinsey and Patrick Azimkar and the others over Constable Stephen Carroll's murder. Lord Chief Justice Sir Brian Kerr said a weekend extension was unlawful. "No consideration was given to the lawfulness of the original arrest," he said. Police now must decide whether to charge them, or release them from Antrim police station. Outside the court, senior investigating officer Derek Williamson said: "We will now have to go and look at a…